Biografía

Completely abandoned her acting career in 1983 in order to concentrate on her spiritual life as a Jehovah's Witness.

Nicknamed "Tootie" (or "Tudie"), Teresa lived with her ailing mother, Willie Graves, in the Crenshaw district of Los Angeles for quite some time. Her mother was hospitalized after suffering a stroke at the time of the 12:30 a.m. fatal home fire on October 10, 2002, which probably saved her life.

Firefighters responding to a fire in the Hyde Park section of Los Angeles found Graves unconscious in a rear bedroom of her home. She was taken to Daniel Freeman Memorial Hospital in nearby Inglewood, where she died. A faulty portable space heater was determined to be the cause of the blaze. A smoke alarm in the front of the house was activated but Teresa failed to hear it. Neighbors said they didn't know of the highly religious Graves's past life as a TV star. She died of burns and smoke inhalation not long after arriving at the hospital.

Was acknowledged as the first African-American woman to play the lead in a police film and TV show and the first to have her own one-hour series.

Among those attending her memorial on October 16, 2002 were fellow Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1967) regulars Ruth Buzzi, Henry Gibson and Gary Owens.